Among the most âbannedâ books in the United States, Uncle Tomâs Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly is a novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe which treats slavery as a central theme. Stowe was a Connecticut-born teacher at the Hartford Female Academy and an active abolitionist. The novel is believed to have had a profound effect on the Northâs view of slavery. In fact, when he met Harriet Beecher Stowe, President Lincoln is said to have commented, âSo youâre the little lady whose book started the Civil War.â First published on March 20, 1852, the story focuses on the tale of Uncle Tom, a long-suffering black slave, the central character around whose life the other charactersâboth fellow slaves and slave ownersârevolve. The novel depicts the harsh reality of slavery while also showing that Christian love and faith can overcome even something as evil as enslavement of fellow human beings.